Toy package



Nil 3,533,503

United States Patent 2} inventors Jerry D. Wood Plainfield. New Jersey; Richard L. Keats. Sands Pint. .\'e York :11 Apple x0. 810.175

i221 Filed March 25.1969

[] Patented Oct. 13.1970

[73] Assignee Buddy L. Corporation Rock Island. Illinois a corporation of Illinois [54} TOY PACKAGE 8 Claims, 5 Draviing Figs. [52] Cl 206,451). 2064534106746 {511 lnt.Cl BGSdS-SO Field of Search .v 312/284:

210/97 F): 106743.34 46(A.\l). 45.]9. 78-(B) [56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1008.664 7 1935 Dowst 206 4519 3.057.466 HD1962 Blonder et al. .i 206 4519 2.772.500 l2/l956 Cole et al l 312 ZtS-iLX 2.866.573 12/1958 Gordon etal ZZOHJHFJL'X FOREIGN PATENTS 648.606 l/ll Great Britain Primary Examiner-Joseph R. LeClair AlSiSlmll E.raminer-J0hn .vl. Caskie AIlUrI18 \-H8f0ld M. Knoth ABSTRACT: A toy package provides a lower inverted boxlike base on which a to is supported and enclosed by a cover also in the form ofa taller inverted box-like structure. the base and cover having juxtaposed marginal flanges that are secured together to compartmentize the toy. the cover being at least in part transparent or otherwise constructed to reveal not only the to but alegend-bearing insert describing the to Patented Oct. 13, 1970 3,533,503

Sheet 1 of 2 FIG. I

Patented Oct. 13, 1970 Sheet FIG. 5

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Toys have been heretofore packaged in what are known as "blister" packages, usually formed of some well-known type of material such as vacuum formed plastic acetate film of transparent nature. This material'is inherently relatively pliable and thus causes difficulty in protecting the toy during shipment, handling etc. When combined with other material such as cardboard etc. upon which advertising media or other legends can be printed, the same lack of strength occurs, besides which the cardboard and film are incompatible as respects fasteners other than typical metallic staples etc. It is therefore difficult to achieve a practicable and attractive package at low cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides essentially a composite package of mating parts within which the toy is compartmented and is additionally confined against relative movement so that the wall structure of the package affords protec tion against damage despite the light-weight nature of the packaging material. Further, the composite package is so arranged as to accommodate an advertising or other legendbearing insert visible through some part of the package that is constructed so as to reveal at least a part of the insert, such as by being transparent. The package parts include suitable reenforcing structure, mating flanges that may be readily sealed together, transparency so as to reveal the toy, the ability to stack like packages, and low cost construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The package is especially designed for the packaging of toy vehicles, such as that shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 4, wherein a typical toy has a body including front and rear wheeled axles l2 and 14, the body including a cab 16 and an overlying body part 18, the toy here being substantially a scale model of a conventional dump truck.

Fundamentally, the package includes a base 20, a cover 22 and an insert 24. The base is in the form of an inverted box of low profile, here of rectangular shape including a platform 26 on which the toy is supported and marginal depending wall means 28 provided with an outwardly extending peripheral flange 30. Since the base is preferably vacuum formed of material such as described above, the foregoing parts are integral with each other, as are toy-engaging means rising from the platform, as at 32 and 34, for engaging the lower parts of the toy. In the preferred embodiment shown, each means 32, 34 is in the form of a pedestal of tapered construction adapted to engage respectively in front of and behind the toy axles I2 and 14 (FIGS. 2 and 4). This confines the toy against foreand-aft shifting when supported on the platform. Additionally, the base is shaped in stepped fashion at 36 and 38 at its front and rear ends and also at 40 and 42 at its opposite sides, not only to add strength but to provide an under-pocket-Iike structure that facilitates stacking of similar packages, as indicated in FIG. 4, wherein the numeral 44 designates the top of a lower similar package. Further, the transverse intermediate part of the platform has a plurality of reenforcing ribs 46 to provide additional rigidity. For the moment, the insert 24 may be put aside and above-described base may be regarded as supporting the toy from below by its wheels and the pedestals 32 and 34 will be seen as confining the toy against fore-and-aft shifting on the substantially rigid base.

The cover 22 is likewise in the form of an inverted box but has a height taller than that of the base so that its top or roof 48 is spaced considerably above the platform of the base so as to provide a space or compartment 50 within which the toy is contained. Depending from the roof is a marginal wall means 52 somewhat loosely or telescopically surrounding the base wall means 28 so as to afford a peripheral space 54. The cover is likewise preferably vacuum formed of plastic acetate film or equivalent material so that the roof and wall means are integral, as is a peripheral outwardly extending flange or lip 56 on the wall means. When the cover and the base are assembled, the flanges and 56 include means joining same together, such means being preferably of any of the well known heat sealing operations, suggested at 58 in FIG. 4. The height of the package is designed for the particular toy to be packaged and, as shown in FIG. 2, that portion of the roof 48 in the area designated 60 engages the toy part 18 so as to confine the toy between the base and cover top.

In a modified form of the invention, as where the toy includes a fore portion 18* at a level below a higher rear portion 10', the cover may be such as that shown at 22' in FIG. 5, and may include a depending toy-engaging portion 60' to confine the toy against vertical shifting. It will be understood of course that the remainder of the package may be as described above in connection with FIGS. 1-4.

The insert 24 may be of any conventional material, such as cardboard or the like capable of bearing printing or equivalent legend, since the base and cover, being-of the aforementioned material, do not readily receive imprinting. In this case, the insert is likewise in the form of an inverted box-like construction having a top 62 and depending walls 64, the top being provided with front and rear apertures or openings 66 and 68 to accommodate the pedestals 32 and 34, and the wall means 64 depends into the space 54. Thus the toy actually is supported by the platform of the base means via the top of the insert, and the lower portion of the cover wall means, as at 70, being transparent or otherwise constructed, reveals the legend that is imprinted on the insert wall means 64 as received in the space 54.

When the total assembly is effected, the insert is immovably contained in the package, because its wall means depends into the space between the base wall 28 and the lower part 70 of the cover wall 52 and the toy rests upon the insert top 62. The toy itself is confined between the base (plus insert) and the cover as well as by the upwardly projecting means 32 and 34. As a unit package, the construction provides a low-cost relatively rigid structure. In conjunction with stacking with similar packages, the stepped constructions at both ends 36 and 38 and at both sides 40 and 42 provide not only increased rigidity but an interlocking that materially facilitates shipping. The insert, being confined as aforesaid, remains in place despite handling and affords a medium on which the description etc. of the toy may be suitably imprinted.

We claim:

1. A packaged toy comprising: a base in the form of an inverted box having a top providing a platform and marginal wall means depending from the top and provided with an outwardly extending peripheral flange, a toy supported on the platform, said top having integral therewith means projecting upwardly therefrom and engaging the toy; a cover in the form of an inverted box enclosing and relatively taller than the toy and including a top and marginal wall means depending therefrom and having a lower portiontelescoping over and about the base wall means, said wall means of the cover having an outwardly projecting peripheral flange juxtaposed over and engaging the base flange in face-to-face relation, said cover having its top spaced above the platform and including means integral with said top for engaging the toy from above; means peripherally securing the flanges together and an inverted box-like insert having a top apertured to accommodate the upwardly projecting means on the base and marginal wall means depending between the base wall means and the lower portion of the cover wall means, said last two wall means being spaced apart to receive said insert wall means. 1

2. The invention defined in claim I, 'n which at least a part of said lower portion of the wall means of the cover is so constructed as to render visible at least the corresponding part of the insert wall means.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, in which at least said lower portion of the wall means of the cover is marginally transparent so as to render visible the insert wall means.

4. The invention defined in claim 1, in which the toyis a vehicle having front and rear wheeled axle means and the up wardly projecting means are constructed to engage said wheeled axle means to prevent fore-and-aft shifting of the toy.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, in which the platform is provided with reinforcing means rigidifying the base.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, in which the toy-engaging means of the cover top depends from said top to confine the toy between said top and the base platform.

7. A packaged toy comprising: a base in the form of an inverted box having a rectangular horizontal top providing a platform and vertically flat marginal wall means depending from the top and provided with an outwardly extending horizontal, peripheral flange; a wheeled toy supported by its wheels on the platform within the area of the top; a cover in the form of a truncated pyramidal inverted box surrounding the toy from above and on all sides and including a horizontal rectangular top over the toy and depending marginal wall means about the toy, said wall means having a lower. vertically flat peripheral portion freely telescoped over and about the base wall means and .said peripheral portion having integral therewith an outwardly projecting horizontal peripheral flange juxtaposed over and engaging said base flange from above in face-to-face relation, said flanges being peripherally coterminous as respects each other so that the facing surface areas of the flanges are peripherally substantially uniform; means of peripherally uniform tenacity securing the flanges together against separation short of destruction; at least a part of the marginal wall means of the base bearing upright indicia facing outwardly of the base; and at least a part of the lower portion of the cover wall means in register with the aforesaid base part being constructed to render said indicia clearly horizontally visible from outside the package.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 in which the underside of the base has portions adapted to receive and interlock with the truncated pyramidal shape of the cover top portion so as to enable said top portion to fit within the underside of the base of a similar package stacked atop said cover. 

